A Guide for Boosting Your Children’s Healthy Development and Creativity

Natural Learning Initiative

The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) is a researchand extension program of the College of Design,NC State University. The NLI mission is to promotethe importance of the natural environment inthe daily experience of all children and their families, through design, research, education,and dissemination of information. NLI works withmultidisciplinary partners to implement the criticalrole of the natural world to support healthy childdevelopment, pro-social values, and motivation of learning across all subject areas.NLI believes that understanding nature’s processesand their interdependence with human life is acritical educational task for creating an ecologicallysustainable society. NLI collaborates with other researchers, designers, educators, environmentaleducators, planners, extension agents, public

ofcials – all professionals working for and with

children to help communities create stimulatinghealthy places for play, learning, and environmentaleducation.NLI works with a variety of clients in the nonformaland formal sector of education, including: schools;parks and recreation systems; childcare centers;afterschool programs; federal, state, county, andmunicipal governments; residential developers;zoos; botanical gardens; children’s museums; andenvironmental centers.

National Wildlife Federation

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is America’slargest conservation organization, inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children’sfuture. NWF programs educate and inspire peoplefrom all walks of life to protect wildlife and wildlifehabitat.NWF focuses its conservation and education workin three major areas that will have the biggestimpact on the future of America’s wildlife:

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Seeking solutions to global warming whichposes a major threat to the nation’s wildlife

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Protecting and restoring wildlife habitat,especially habitats that provide a home for threatened and endangered species

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Connecting children to nature for a nation of happier, healthier kids. These connections inearly life will teach children to appreciate andrespect the natural world so they can be goodconservation stewards in the future.Be Out There™ is NWF’s movement to reconnectfamilies with the outdoors. Kids today spend twiceas much time indoors as their parents did, missingout on the simple pleasures and lasting mental and

physical health benets of daily outdoor time.

NWF’s practical tools and information help makebeing outside a fun, healthy and automatic partof everyday life for American families. By raisingawareness, inspiring behavior change and takingaction, Be Out There will help get American children

and families back outside – where they belong!

BeOutThere.org.

Nature Play at Home is a component of the Nature Play Space

™

DesignProject, a joint project of the National Wildlife Federation and the NaturalLearning Initiative, dedicated to creating tools and resources that restorenature to children’s everyday outdoor play and learning environments.